Shades of Grey
by Moonlit Water Sunny River
Summary: Peter tried, he really did. But you can find a reason for anything.


A/N: FIRST OFF. . . WHY DOES EVERYBODY HATE PETEY? Okay, maybe he's a traitor, but this is WHY. This is the reason Peter betrayed the Marauders. Oneshot.

"C'mon, Wormtail. . . don't hang around with trash like that."

Peter looked back over at Severus Snape, sitting by the tree trying not to cry. "He's not trash."

"Say what?" Sirius asked, cocking one eyebrow.

"Why did you just do that to him?"

James shrugged. "Just cos he's there, I guess."

Peter turned his back and sat down beside Severus Snape.

"What do you want?"

"To tell you I'm sorry."

Severus looked up at Peter. Peter had a real look of concern on his face. Then –

Snape was hanging in the air again.

"LET HIM DOWN NOW!"

"Uh oh. Busted." Sirius gritted his teeth as Professor Valerian strode over.

"Let's scram."

As Snape started to fall, Peter caught his hand and twisted him so he fell on his feet. However, instead of gratitude, Severus yelled at him.

"You set me up for that!"

"No, really, you've got to believe me. . . "

But Snape was already gone.

- - - -

Back in the Gryffindor common room, Peter faced a fuming James and Sirius, and a puzzled Remus.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU DOING?"

"Calm down, Prongs!" Remus attempted to restrain the infuriated James.

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN TIL HE TELLS ME WHY HE WAS. . . WAS. . . FRATERNIZING WITH THE ENEMY!"

Peter was on the verge of tears. Sirius just wasn't talking to him.

Remus asked him, "Well? Why did you try to, um, make friends? We hate his guts."

Peter scowled and stood up. "No. _You _hate his guts. I think he's. . . I think he's nice, actually. Just miserable."

Sirius lost his temper. "Look, we're nice enough to let you hang around us. Guess what? No one would be friends with you if it weren't for us."

"SIRIUS, SIT DOWN, JAMES, SHUT UP AND PETER CALM DOWN!" Lily Evans yelled at the top of her voice, bringing the rest of Gryffindor down the stairs.

Sirius sat down, his face contorted, James locked his lips and Peter bit his lip. Lily strode over to where James and Sirius sat, and slapped them both.

"Ow! Evans, that hurt."

"It was supposed to! What is it about you two and Severus?" Lily glowered at them, before making her escape up the dormitory stairs.

"I – I guess I'll go too." Peter murmured. Remus stopped him.

"I'm sorry." Remus hugged him. Peter finally let himself cry.

-----

"What wuz that about?" Piper Jones asked James.

"None of your beeswax," murmured Sirius, earning a hard look.

Piper scowled. "I'm on Pettigrew's side."

"What do you mean, _on his side?"_

"I reckon Lupin is too. In fact, almost all of Gryffindor is. Evans, Jordan. . . even some of the Slytherins!"

James sat up. "What?! Peter was trying to make nice! With Greasehead!"

"Since when is that a crime?" It was Remus who had spoken.

James opened and closed his mouth a few times before turning around and going to bed.

Sirius, however, tossed and turned, thinking about who was in the wrong.

_He was making friends with _Snivellus. _A Slytherin, a git and. . . _

_Does that justify my actions? Doesn't that make me just as bad as Snivellus?_

_Worse. Snivellus just looks mean and greasy. You were mean – though not as greasy._

Sirius sat up. It was midnight, but he had to get it out of his system now.

"Hey Peter?" Silence.

"Peter!"

"Whaddaya want?"

"To say. . . aw man, this definitely hurts my pride –" A chuckle.

Sirius took a deep breath, and finished. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. Maybe I did it cos I'm bigger than you – what? You're, like, four feet! Never mind. – or maybe it's my Slytherin streak. But I can't make excuses. What I can make, though, is apologies."

Peter was silent, then said, "He _is _awfully greasy. Doesn't like me much."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "You're one of the Marauders! Why WOULD he like you?"

Piper rubbed sleep from his eyes. "Keep it down, wontcha? Gotta get my beauty sleep."

Peter and Sirius laughed – Piper had a million zits and was awfully pudgy.

-----

Peter had forgiven Sirius. But James was still a rankle. Peter didn't want to hurt Sirius. Or Remus.

"I had my reasons. But were they good enough?"

-----

Harry closed the diary. What he had just read was Peter's diary, found under a bed in the boy's dorm.

The Marauders had had their squabbles. Sirius and James weren't perfect. And Peter wasn't perfectly bad.

Harry guessed that everything was in shades of grey. The Marauders. Snape. Peter's betrayal. Even his defeat of Voldemort.

He put the diary in his trunk. Just as a reminder.

A/N: Do ya like it? Sorry, no sequels. Piper is an OC – he may appear in other fanfics.


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